• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
• /
• v.25 no.5
• /
• pp.641-650
• /
• 2009

The IPCC's standing on the anthropogenic warming is discussed in this article. The differences between the climate alarmist and skeptics have been addressed in terms of scientific and policy stand point of view. The political and economical significances of climate change have been discussed, too. Although atmospheric temperature and rainfall precipitation are two most important factors in the climate change, most of the recent attentions have drawn on mainly temperature and $CO_2$ issue. In spite of argues on the uncertainty in anthropogenic warming related to $CO_2$, the inevitable climate change should correspondingly change the humanity in near feature.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.3-13
• /
• 2010

The Tsushima leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus, a small felid, inhabits only the Tsushima Islands in Japan. Previous studies of the Tsushima leopard cat revealed that natural factors; including sex, reproductive activity, season, and prey distribution and abundance affect leopard cat home range variation and habitat use. In this study, we focused on clarifying how anthropogenic factors influenced home range variation and habitat use of a male Tsushima leopard cat living near a suburban area in January, March, May and September 2005 using radio-tracking. The home range size (100% MCP) of this cat was $0.78\;{\pm}\;0.26\;km^2$ (mean ${\pm}$ SD, n = 4 tracking sessions) across the whole study period. However, the cat did not use all parts of its home range uniformly; rather it used some habitat types selectively. The cat avoided agriculture areas and residential areas in all of the tracking-sessions. On the other hand, the cat showed a weak preference for artificial structures and a strong preference for baiting sites in January and March, while it avoided them in May, and no baiting site was included in its home range in September. These results suggest that anthropogenic factors influenced the ranging patterns and habitat use of the leopard cat living near a suburban area. Artificial structures might provided good resting spaces for the cat in bad weather. When the density of its main prey was low in the winter, the cat tended to rely on artificial prey and had a small home range size.

• Korean Journal of Ecology and Environment
• /
• v.53 no.2
• /
• pp.185-194
• /
• 2020

Pomacea canaliculate (channeled apple snail; CAS), which is one of the world's worst alien invasive species, is widely distributed in Korea, and raised ecological and economic problems. In this study, we surveyed the distribution and dispersal characteristics of CAS in Korea, and analyzed the effects of environmental and anthropogenic (or social) factors on their distribution and dispersal. We considered various events related to CAS such as changes of policy including promotion of agriculture using CAS and enactment of biological diversity conservation law. Our results showed that human activities strongly influenced to the distribution and dispersal of CAS in Korea. Distribution of CAS seemed to relate with environment-friendly agriculture considering environmental conditions of CAS habitats. And dispersal characteristics of CAS were significantly correlated with social factors such as cultivation area and rate of organic products, production CAS on inland fishery.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.379-389
• /
• 2007

This paper presents an attempt to determine natural background levels of heavy metals which could be used for assessing heavy metal contamination. For this study, a large archive dataset of heavy metal concentration (Cu, Cr, Ni, Pb, Zn) for more than 900 surface sediment samples from various Korean coastal environments was newly compiled. These data were normalized for aluminum (grain-size normalizer) concentration to isolate natural factors from anthropogenic ones. The normalization was based on the hypothesis that heavy metal concentrations vary consistently with the concentration of aluminum, unless these metals are of anthropogenic origin. So, the samples (outliers) suspected of receivingany anthropogenic input were removed from regression to ascertain the "background" relationship between the metals and aluminum. Identification of these outliers was tested using a model of predicted limits at 95%. The process of testing for normality (Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test) and selection of outliers was iterated until a normal distribution was achieved. On the basis of the linear regression analysis of the large archive (please check) dataset, background levels, which are applicable to heavy metal assessment of Korean coastal sediments, were successfully developed for Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn. As an example, we tested the applicability of this baseline level for metal pollution assessment of Masan Bay sediments.

• Korean Journal of Environment and Ecology
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.24-32
• /
• 2014

Our study is purposed to understand effect on spatio-temporal variability of macroinvertebrate community 11 sampling times at 4 sites between two streams (Shinchon stream and Gongji stream in Chuncheun City) from May 2011 to October 2013. In this study, the possible physical factors on spatio-temporal variability of macroinvertebrate community were discussed. After stream improvement project, the effects of anthropogenic disturbance in study sites appeared as increased water temperature more than $30^{\circ}C$ and the difference of water temperature between Shinchon stream and Gongji stream was by maximum $9^{\circ}C$ on 2012. The monsoon rainfall decreased number of species, individuals and biodiversity index of macroinvertebrate community, particularly, in Shincheon stream compare to Gongji stream. Dominant species of macroinvertebrate taxa was caddisfly in Shincheon stream and Diptera in Gongji stream but on August 2013, it was dominated by Diptera, Chironomidae spp. in all study sites. The spatio-temporal variability of macroinvertebrate community in the streams may be useful as bio-indicator influencing anthropogenic factors such as soil erosion (landslide or cultivation) or monsoon rainfall.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.179-189
• /
• 2003

The concentration of gaseous elemental mercury (Hg) was measured concurrently with relevant environmental parameters from Yang-Jae monitoring station in Seoul during Sept. 1997 to June 2002. Although data collection was disrupted for certain periods, the grand mean concentration of Hg for this five year period was found at 5.32 $\pm$ 3.53 ng m$^{-3}$ (N = 27,170). Because of short resolution of data acquisition, we were able to examine the temporal variability of Hg at varying time scale. The diurnal variability of Hg, when investigated for each of those five years, indicated consistently the dominance of nighttime over daytime. If examined at seasonal scale, Hg level was systematically higher during winter/spring than summer/fall period. The results of this short-term variability were best explained by the combined effects of such factors as meteorological conditions (formation of inversion layer and seasonal changes) and anthropogenic source processes. However, examination of long-term variation Pattern was much more complicated to explain. Thus, extension of our study is needed to diagnose the future direction in long-term trend of Hg behavior.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.85-98
• /
• 2001

This study was conducted to investigate the geochemical factors governing the distribution of heavy metals(Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the marine surface sediment samples collected from the Samcheonpo coal-fired power plant. Variations of absolute metal concentrations were related to those in textural and/or carbonate and organic matter content. Most elements, except for Pb, showed generally lower contents compared with the average shale concentration, and the effect of anthropogenic input appeared to be minimal in the sediments. Computations of LF%(labile fraction) and EF(enrichment factor) based on all trace metal data indicated the presence of mineralogical control for Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and Zn, and anthropogenic contamination for Pb, which needs to be considered in the design of long term monitoring programmes.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.9 no.3
• /
• pp.229-239
• /
• 2000

Spring, ground and thermal waters in the vicinity of Mt. Geumjeong and Mt. Baekyang area have been sampled and analyzed for major and minor elements. According to the Piper diagram, spring water belongs to $Ca-HCO_3$ and $Na-HCO_3$ types, groundwater to $Ca-HCO_3$ type, and thermal water to Na-Cl type. Based on the phase stability diagrams of $[Ca^{2+}]/{[H^+]}^2, [Mg^{2+}]/{[H^+]}^2, [K^+]/[H^+]$, and $[Na^+]/[H^+] vs. [H_4SiO_4]$, spring water, groundwater and thermal water are mostly in equilibrium with kaolinite. The result of factor analysis shows three factors (factor 1, 2 and factor 3) for the spring water, the groundwater and the thermal water which are represented by the influence of the dissolution of feldspar, calcite, anthropogenic sources (domestic and industrial wastes) and salt water.

• Journal of Marine Bioscience and Biotechnology
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.46-50
• /
• 2011

Phytoplankton forms the base of sea ecosystems. Various environmental factors and anthropogenic pollution, primarily, affect the concentration and photosynthetic activity algal cells, and the changes in the phytoplankton photosynthesis influence other elements of aquatic ecosystems. The increase in anthropogenic pollution markedly damages natural aquatic ecosystems, particularly, in the coastal zones, where an intense blooming of microalgae occurs, including the release of highly dangerous ecotoxic substances of various chemical natures (red tides). In this study, we tried to apply as a parameter for the algal blooming prediction in the ocean from fluorescence values in the taken samples around Busan coastal area. F0 value was almost constant but Fv/Fm value showed the irregular pattern. We presume that these results are due to the changes of the ocean environment and climate. To predict or give early warning the algal blooming, we need to investigate the specific area or fixed area through real-time monitoring. Especially, algal blooming prediction or warning can be achieved via continuously monitoring and interpretation of fluorescence changes.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.13-24
• /
• 2021

The present-day genetic structure of macroalgal species reflects both geographical history and oceanic circulation patterns as well as anthropogenic introduction across native ranges. To precisely understand the genetic diversity and how the factors shape the current population structure of Gloiopeltis furcata sensu lato, we determined the mitochondrial 5' end of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI-5P) sequences for 677 individuals sampled from 67 sites spanning almost the entire distribution range in Korea and Japan. Results from the phylogenetic analysis and haplotype distribution revealed eleven distinct lineages within G. furcata s.l. along the Korea-Japan coastal areas and displayed divergent phylogeographic patterns among lineages. Despite the closely related lineages distributed in same habitats as high rocky intertidal zone, they display different phylogeographic patterns among lineages. The populations from the south of Korea-Japan harbored the highest genetic diversity and unique endemism in comparison with other populations in the distribution range. This could be the evidence of southern refugia for G. furcata s.l. in the Northwest (NW) Pacific and the recent migration from native to introduced region. The reason is that an exceptional distribution pattern was found high genetic diversity in Hakodate of Japan where is the northern location in the NW Pacific. Our results imply the contemporary influence on the distribution due to current circulation pattern and anthropogenic effects. These phylogeographic findings provide the important insight into cryptic species diversity and the detailed distribution pattern of Gloiopeltis in the NW Pacific.